Local Search

Google Places Business Name Optimization Strategy

Google Places quality guidelines state that the business name for your listing should represent your business exactly as it appears in the offline world. Taglines, phone numbers, URLs, and extraneous keywords should not be added to the business name field. While you can still see businesses use this strategy, it is not a long term strategy and in the end could get you delisted or penalized within the local search results. A best practice in regards to Google Places is to use a standard version o...

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Brent Nau 12/7/2010 12:00:00 AM Comments(0)

Google Maps Adds Hotel Comparison Shopping

Noticing that Google Maps has added some additional functionality for hotel searches. I noticed at the top of the Google Maps search results a "Check In" and "Check Out" search feature. Also, beside each hotel listing there is a lowest price drop down. Clicking on the lowest price displays a list of Sponsored results with pricing information on the specific hotel. The drop down list looks to have four paid listings and the last one is the official hotel link. Here is a screen shot. This was firs...

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Brent Nau 11/2/2010 12:00:00 AM Comments(0)

Google Local Adds Status Updates

Google Local status updates are a new feature that will allow businesses to promote upcoming events, news, or promotions right on their Google Place Page. Google Local status updates are limited to 160 characters in length and will be visible for 30 days on the Place Page. In order to access the status update you will need to have verified your business through the Google Local Business Center. Not sure if your business Place Page has been verified? If the business listing has not been verified ...

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Brent Nau 1/18/2010 8:40:00 AM Comments(0)

Google Local Listing Ads - Not Quite Ready

Earlier this month Google introduced Local Listing Ads which allowed local businesses to pay for their local listings to be included in the Sponsored Results. The results? The ads appear in search results very sporadically, much like a poorly managed Pay Per Click campaign, and don't always show up for all the keywords relating to the business' offerings. The targeting is based on the existing local business listing, and the ad is preset with the same content found in the existing ad. Google cle...

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Jon Negrini 10/30/2009 4:57:00 PM Comments(0)

Google Local Search Single Box Result

Looks like Google is pushing even more changes to how the local search results display. I am now seeing a single box result listing. My co-workers are still seeing the traditional Google Local Ten Box. I have added a screen shot from my search....

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Brent Nau 4/2/2009 8:35:00 AM Comments(2)

Google local one box listing results are now based on IP addresses.

Google has made changes to their one box local business listing results based on IP addresses. In the past users had to add a GEO qualifier, i.e. a city name to get the Google one box local listings to show up within the search results. But recently they have made changes which return Google local listings defaulting to searcher’s city when a GEO qualifier isn’t present. The results are based on the searchers IP address. This is just more evidence that if you don’t have an opti...

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Ken Moody 3/31/2009 1:11:00 PM Comments(1)

City Centroid - Local Search Ranking Factor

There has been a shift from Yellow Pages to Search Engines to find local companies and products. According to a TMP Directional Marketing study, the Internet has become the primary source for local research. The study found that 31% of respondents to the study used Search Engines to find local products and services first, with Yellow Pages or White Pages at 30%, Internet Yellow Pages at 19% and Local Search Sites at 11%. The importance of showing up in Google's Onebox Local Search result is beco...

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Brent Nau 3/24/2009 2:38:00 PM Comments(1)

Yet another reason an optimized Google local directory presence is a must.

Other than the obvious reason why it is important to have an optimized Google local listing. It is now even more important because of 1800Goog411, Google's free 411 information line which has been around a while . Basically it performs the same function as a traditional 411 number; however, it is free and pulls the information straight out of their local listings and if your listing is number one for the users search terms and city and state then your business will be the first one returned with...

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Kenneth Moody 1/29/2009 12:00:00 AM Comments(0)

Consumers Continue to Research Online, Buy Offline

A recent study, Local Search Usage Study , by comScore shows that more consumers are doing their research online while purchasing offline with a phone call or a visit to the local store. The study found that once online research was performed 39% of consumers contacted the local business via phone, 32% visited the local business, and 12% contacted the local business online. The number one source for research was Search Engines 31% , followed by Print Yellow Pages or White Pages 30% , then Intern...

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Brent 12/2/2008 8:39:00 PM Comments(0)

Yahoo’s Locations Near You Show Competitors

We had issues with one of our clients in the Yahoo search results earlier this week. Yahoo was pulling in a page title and meta description for totally different pages on the site. That issue was quickly resolved after @yahoo_directory found the conversation on Twitter. I checked our client’s listings this morning and noticed that Yahoo started to add the Locations Near You link under the main listing. The Locations Near You link brought me to Yahoo Local. I first noticed that the location...

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Brent 10/10/2008 1:03:00 PM Comments(0)

Getting Local on Yahoo! Local

According to a recent comScore study : 63% of U.S. Internet users perform a local search online last July This is a 43% increase over July 2005 As Local Search starts to take off in the next couple of years, businesses need to monitor and update their business listings in the local search engines. Today we are going to take a look at Yahoo! Local . First, determine if you are indeed listed in Yahoo! Local by doing a search on your business name and the city / state that your local bu...

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Brent 1/22/2007 9:32:00 PM Comments(0)

Getting Local on Google

As local search continues to grow and mature, businesses need to be aware of getting their business listed in Google Local. Google offers an easy way to get listed through their Local Business Center . There is a step-by-step form to fill out and once the form has been submitted you have a choice of either requesting them to call you or send you a postcard so they can verify your address. Once the address is verified your done. You also benefit by having a expandable Google map of your locatio...

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Brent 12/29/2006 2:10:00 PM Comments(0)